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The Gods
The Gods of Iatar have been the highest active power in the world since The Great Clash, when they took control by defeating each of the five Titans. At first, they ruled actively, as physical presences in Iatar, though after The Cataclysm, they saw that their reckless actions had led to incredible instability, and so determined to depart from Iatar, now inhabiting the Celestial Plane, and only interacting with mortals through ethereal means. There are 14 Gods that watch over Iatar, each with their own responsibilities and motives. They are by no means in complete harmony with one another, and immortality breeds long grudges, though in times of great crisis, they unify and defend Iatar from these grave threats. Mostly, the Gods are constant in their dispositions, representing their race of origin, and blessing those who worship them. There have been instances where the Gods have drastically changed their alignment, though these are exceedingly rare. On the whole, the Gods of Iatar are a force for good, bringing order and protection to a world full of chaos and the desire for ultimate power. The Divine Pantheon After the Gods overthrew the Titans in the Great Clash, the pantheon that was established became known as the Divine Pantheon, as opposed to the prior Titanic Pantheon. This new Pantheon consisted of each God that survived the Clash, 14 in total, and except in very fringe cultures, these 14 Gods are acknowledged, and worshipped, across Iatar. Hierarchy After some time had passed since the Gods came into power, throughout which the Gods were fairly unified in intent and purpose, they divulged into factions and began conflicts with one another. This period of time became known as the Godswars, and it dominated most of the Chaos Era, only ending once the threat of Asharaz the Usurper united the Gods once more against a common enemy. Throughout these wars, however, a clear power hierarchy was established, which still stands to this day. Amnar Amnar, The Watcher, stands alone atop the pantheic hierarchy. Instead of spending his power warring with the other Gods, he separated himself and focused on the study of The Chaos, and thus, he ascended to the top of the Divine Pantheon, unchallenged. He does not often involve himself in the affairs of mortals, but when he does, it must be a matter of great importance, usually inspiring the unification of the rest of the Pantheon under his wisdom. Major Gods The Major Gods consist of Tor, Llyra, and Atash, the most ambitious and powerful of the remaining Gods. Tor was the master tactician behind the Great Clash, and his military leadership has remained to this day. Llyra's mastery of the natural realm gives her an obvious seat at the table, and Atash's control of The Chaos is unrivalled amongst the Gods, save by Amnar himself. These three have the most influence in Iatar, and dictate the ebb and flow of many supernatural events, as well as being the patrons of the three most dominant races in Iatar. Minor Gods The Minor Gods, Nieva, Gog-Um, Rik-Va, and Tyatar, are the next most influential Gods in the Pantheon. Gog-Um and Rik-Va are the patrons of the other two major races, and so hold great power amongst the mortal beings, whilst Nieva controls Death, and Tyatar controls the Storms and the Seas. These four Gods, whilst not as powerful as the Major Gods, preside over major forces in Iatar, and so still garner much respect. Lesser Gods The Lesser Gods rule over much more specific aspects of existence in Iatar, and so their influence is much less than those of the Major or Minor Gods. They are much less powerful than them as well, and are not usually the primary patron of anyone, rather being called on in specific times of need. The Lesser Gods consist of: Marat, the Goddess of Healing, Skjorvir, the God of the Sky, Yazanai, the God of Mischief, Finda, the Goddess of Wealth and Luck, Rheuthar, the God of Vengeance, and lastly, Gorgoron, the God of Wizardry. Divine Ascension Divine Ascension is the method by which the Gods ascended from mortality to divinity. Gorandar the Wizard first discovered the secret through his study of The Chaos, though he never managed to execute the feat. Tardoron was the first God, though he was slain within days of his Ascension by the Titans, who saw him as a threat to their power. When the Secret Order began the Great Clash, they chose 23 champions to ascend to divinity, so they could effectively challenge the Titans rule. Some time into the Godswars, the Gods decided to obliterate all knowledge of Divine Ascension, so that none could rival their control of Iatar. Since then, many ambitious wizards have attempted to Ascend, most notably being Asharaz the Usurper, though none have been successful since the Titanic Age ended. Alternate Pantheons (main article) Whilst recognition of the Divine Pantheon of Iatar is fairly universal, there are some fringe cultures, usually less civilised, or more remote, that see the Divine landscape quite differently. Many of the tribal cultures across Iatar recognise demonic powers as Gods, and others worship aspects of nature as divine beings. There is some unity amongst these tribal pantheons, depending on the continent in which they reside, though often slight variations will be found between them. Even rarer than these are the abhorrent Titan Cultists, who meet in secret, coming from all walks of life, united by the idea that killing a Titan is impossible, and that they will inevitably return. Finally, there are some, even in mainstream civilisation, who do not acknowledge the Gods at all. In particular, Halflings and Gnomes are rarely religious in any form when left to their own societies, though when they are integrated into Human or Elvish culture, they will at least offer lip service to Tor and the rest of the Pantheon when appropriate. Dragons, whilst they acknowledge the existence of the Gods, will rarely worship them, staying loyal to Dracaris, their patron. There are some who worship Atash, but by and large, the Dragons were happy under the rule of Dracaris, and so oppose the Gods and the other mortal races for killing Him. Category:Religion